Though SUPPLY.com is growing rapidly, it wasn’t that long ago when we were a tight-knit team of less than thirty people who were all dependent on each other to get the job done. We still operate that way today, even with a team of over 150 filling out our new office space. Every role is important and has a direct effect on our business, and our internships are no exception.

This summer was a special one at SUPPLY.com – it was the first year we had a class of interns start together and graduate together. As they said goodbye last week, cleaning out desks and planning fun farewells, we sat down with Dan, Leah, and Jackie to get their take on spending the summer semester on Frederick Drive.

What was your favorite thing about SUPPLY.com?

“I loved the fact that every day I enjoyed coming to work. We have a great team here – the work/life/play balance is perfect… people here work extremely hard, and are extremely smart, but the camaraderie is high!” – Dan Benson, Analyst Intern (The University of West Georgia, Senior in Economics)

What was the most important thing you learned this summer?

“Justin [my supervisor] taught me so many things but the biggest was to not go with my first instinct and explore other designs before submitting the final. He was great about challenging me to think beyond my personal style and way of doing things to improve my skillset. He always gave such positive feedback on my designs but also gave very useful constructive feedback as well. Some of my best and favorite designs are the product of rethinking and redesigning based on his feedback!” – Jackie Heydet, Graphic Design Intern (The University of South Carolina, Junior in Visual Communications with BA Minor)

Graphic Design Intern Jackie in front of the mural she painted for our Austin Conference Room.

What was the most surprising thing you learned this summer?

“I realized early on that there is not always a “right” answer to every question or problem that arises in a real business setting. College is so different because we take so many exams where this notion is the exact opposite. Because I had never had an internship before, I was a bit worried that I would not be able to get the right results and answer every question correctly, but I quickly learned that all anyone can do is their very best job and lean on coworkers for support and advice.” – Leah Rodgers, Analyst Intern (Auburn University, Senior in Business Analytics)

What do you think about the plumbing supply industry (be honest, haha)?

“Being a designer, you can pretty much go into any industry which I think is a lot of the fun of it. I never thought plumbing would be an industry that interested me but SUPPLY.com is such a cool and modern company!” – Jackie

“It is actually a really interesting industry to work in – there is massive scope for growth which is exciting for any young professional. I never thought that I would enjoy talking about ways to market a toilet, or how we can best price a toilet pump, but it’s been highly intriguing.” – Dan

“Thank You Thursdays [catered lunch for employees every Thursday, often accompanied by a Brand Day] were my favorite – who doesn’t love free food (and a free sink?!). But in all seriousness, Thank You Thursdays and Brand Days just encapsulate the values of the company – everyone works as a team, and we win and lose in that team.”- Analyst Intern Dan (second from left) won a sink on our Kraus Brand Day.

It was great to hear that our interns had such rewarding experiences; their supervisors were equally pleased and blown away by the work the interns cranked out in two months. We asked Justin Jackson (Graphic Designer) and Jared Ervin (Sales Operations Analyst II) about their main takeaway from the summer.

What was the biggest thing your intern learned this summer – and what was the biggest thing you learned from them?

“I personally learned for the first time how to manage someone’s schedule. Making sure Jackie had enough to work on was daunting enough. She added so much value to everything she touched. I learned from her to take everything with a smile. No matter what was thrown at her, however mundane or complex or vague, she was ready to attack it with a smile first and foremost. Her fervor for excellence was extremely admirable.” – Justin

“Leah learned a ton of hard skills in Excel and SQL, but arguably more important were the skills she developed in business communication. Teaching is a great way to solidify your own understanding, so having Leah and Dan around really pushed me to a deeper understanding of the tools I use on a daily basis.” – Jared

Sharing a Coke and a smile during our July the Fourth cookout.

Jackie shows Dan the latest graphics she’s been working on.

Taking a break with a game of Ping-Pong in the breakroom.

We were sad to say goodbye to the intern class, but we’re excited to see where they go with their careers in the future. We know that they’ll go far and that the skills they learned at SUPPLY.com will help them in their endeavors. Good luck, Dan, Leah, and Jackie!

Want to know more about internships at SUPPLY.com? Read about India’s experience as a summer intern in 2017 here. Not a student but ready to work at SUPPLY.com as a full-time employee? Check out our careers page here. We’d love to have you aboard to help build something great!

You may say I’m a dreamer, but I’m not the only one. I hope someday you’ll join us, and apply now at SUPPLY.com! Calling all dreamers to check out our Careers Page or send an email to work@supply.com.